The Most Efficient Way to Chill Water for Hydrocoolers

Heat Transfer
January 2, 2021
3 Minute Read

What is Hydrocooling?

Hydrocooling is a fast and efficient way of cooling water-tolerant fruits and vegetables after harvest by pre-chilling them in cold water to preserve their freshness and prolong shelf life. When produce is harvested from the fields, the high temperatures and humidity they retain threaten their quality. For this reason, it is beneficial to cool produce quickly to avoid damage.

Why Hydrocooling?

While there are some other cooling methods for fruits and vegetables, hydrocooling is one of the fastest ways to preserve fresh produce. It reduces the time that produce is exposed to damaging natural elements and speeds up the harvesting process by allowing large amounts of produce to be cooled at once. There are various hydrocooling methods, but the most commonly used is the conventional method in which harvested produce travels along a conveyor belt under a chilled water shower.

Use of Immersed Temp-Plate® Banks in Hydrocooling

Within the last five years, the use of immersed Paul Mueller Company Temp-Plate® banks in hydrocoolers has increased significantly. The immersed Temp-Plate® banks provide an energy-efficient heat-exchanging solution for rapidly chilling and recirculating the water for hydrocooling. With conventional cooling methods, the water cannot be recirculated as the produce's debris must be cleaned out each time. However, by utilizing immersed Temp-Plate® banks in hydrocoolers, this can be avoided as the strategic spaces between the plates prevent debris, from produce, from getting trapped. This allows the cooled water to recirculate repeatedly without needing a filter and makes cleaning and maintenance quick and efficient, as the plates are easily removable.

Benefits of Hydrocooling with Immersed Temp-Plate® Banks

Overall, utilizing a hydro cooler equipped with immersed Temp-Plate® banks is one of the quickest and most efficient ways to cool large quantities of fresh produce. This significantly saves energy costs and time spent maintaining the system and reduces waste caused by damaged harvested produce.